Several weeks ago, I wrote about my Uncle James who was head of Parks and Recreation for one of the largest cities in the country, feeling the need to do more for God. My Uncle was seeking a ministry but the church he served never caught on and simply put him on a committee. James is not unusual. One recent trend in America is called "Halftime" named after the book by Bob Buford, describing people who desire something more in their life to enable them to move from financial and career success to achieve goals that are more significant or even spiritual. The issue is not whether people want something more significant in their life but how will the church respond? Will we help them find and develop a meaningful ministry or will we simply plug a hole and put them on another committee?

One person described the feeling this way: “Life is like a dog race. You are forever chasing the rabbit. One day the rabbit breaks down and stops in the middle of the race. Now what? There is instant bedlam as dogs begin yelping and biting each other. Is this how we are? Running to achieve success but upon catching the rabbit, not knowing what to do next?” If this describes you, welcome to half-time.

Here are some examples of half-timers within our own church:

• Al owns a successful insurance business but also leads a ministry team at his church and is actively involved with Salvation Army.

• Betsy retired as a school guidance counselor and now works for her church as a volunteer coordinator helping others become more involved in ministry.

• Polly retired from College Administration and joined mission work teams helping to rebuild houses in Mississippi or in Pennsylvania filling care packages destined for Russia.

• Vance recently sold his communication business and is now using many of those same skills to help his church explore new ways of communicating the message of Jesus Christ.